Yuki no Naka ni
by Eriol33
Summary: It's christmas eve. The sky was the most beautiful for Ichigo. And he forgot that he had made a promise for Rukia. My first fic. IchigoxRukia.


Yuki no Naka ni (In the Middle of the Snow)

Pairing: IchigoxRukia

Timeline: After Rukia is saved.

Disclaimer: I dont own bleach.

* * *

He gazed through the window of his room, watching droplet of snows raining from the sky. He opened the window and reached one of the snowflakes. Kurosaki Clinic is unusually quiet. Perhaps that's because it's night already or because just like him, they staring at the windows just like him, watching the first snowflakes in the december. 

_Yuki wa... doushite itsumo kirei ka na? Kanojo wa yuki ga onaji. I wonder why Snow is always beautiful? That woman is just like this snow_

Ichigo wondered. Why he remembered her when looking at the snow? He brushed off his hair, thinking that he must be stupid. He hadn't met Rukia for quite time. And he supposed that Rukia must have forgotten about him.

_Kanojo ga wasurareba Ichigo. Ore wa mada inochi mo motte. (You must forget her Ichigo, I still have life to go on)_

Ichigo closed his window and he gazed at the small closet where Rukia used to sleep when she was in her gigai. _Rukia..._

Ichigo touched his lip. He still could feel the warmness of her finger.

_I give you this kiss so that we have a promise to meet again. Don't you forget that, Ichigo. _

Ichigo remembered her elegance and her tender smile that he wouldn't forget. A smile of Kuchiki Rukia. And he couldn't tell which one is more beautiful, the first snows in that night or a smile that brought his sunshine. And he just realized that he had forgotten an important thing before they departed.

_A promise?

* * *

_

He still remembered the words that coming from the lip of her.

_Ichigo, I'm staying here._

He stared at her, grateful of seeing her alive, saved from that execution. _What else I'm looking for?_ He thought.

_That's good_. He replied, blinking his eyes for a second.

Rukia gave a surprised face toward his answer.

_If that's the best for you I dont mind. _He continued, a smile curled from his lip. Yes, he smiled. But for unknown reason, he felt his heart hurted when hearing those words. _Don't be egoistic_, he warned himself. _Don't deserve what you have not in the first place. _

_She doesn't belong to you, _he repeated the words through his mind.

He could hear the sound of wind singing in the middle of that grass field.

_Ichigo... Thank you,_ he could hear a whisper from Rukia that accompanied their farewell.

_So it's goodbye then? _Asked Ichigo to that raven-haired girl. The girl whom he risked all of his life to protect.

_Don't say goodbye._ Rukia stepped forward to Ichigo. A moment that was almost felt like an eternity. Rukia put the tip of her point finger at her lip, and she touched it to Ichigo's afterward. Ichigo could feel his cheek burnt red. Rukia's finger which touched his lip so gently... it almost burned his entire body.

_W-what are you doing Rukia? In front of these people... _ Ichigo panickedly looking at the crowd who giggling at the them. He could feel his ears burning. _What's on her mind?_

Ichigo saw Rukia smiled at him. A smile he hadn't saw for a long time. A smile that eclipsed moon and night... A smile of Kuchiki Rukia.

_It's to make promise for me_ she said to Ichigo.

Huh? Ichigo had no clue of what she just said.

_You said a goodbye didn't you? I dont want a goodbye. That's why I give you this kiss so you will return it._

_Promise me?_ She asked again.

_I promise... _Ichigo answered, letting these small finger of her go.

_When and where will we meet?_ He asked her again.

_The place where we meet for the first time and the moment you think sky is the most beautiful_, she replied.

_...the moment you think the sky is the most beautiful..._

_...beautiful..._

_...ful...

* * *

_

"Nii chan where are you going? It's chirstmas eve now! Don't forget to come before dinner ne!" yelled Yuzu her little sister, apparantly panicked that Ichigo was more tense than usual. Christmas eve huh... not that I'm really care about it he thought.

"Don't worry Yuzu, I'm waiting someone outside. I will surely come back before dinner." Ichigo replied to his little sister, he could barely heard Karin yelling about him having girlfriend. He grabbed off his sweater and walking before the snowfall. _Kirei_... he thought, looking at the droplet of these shattered whites in the sky.

Today is christmas Eve, he thought. Could it be she mean it for this day? The day where I think Sky is the most beautiful...

Ichigo took a position. He's standing still. His mind and his eyes are waiting for someone.

_Rukia... doko ka? Rukia, where are you?_

_Snow is falling..._

_Falling..._

Ichigo took a deep breath. He felt cold slashing through the sweater. How he wished Rukia is one of these people who walking in the road.

The snow fell heavier. It was definitely colder before the time he had been standing there. But he tried to believe. He wanted to believe Rukia would come...

"Nii chan, why don't you come inside? You look pale." said Yuzu to his big brother who still standing like a pathetic lonely snowman.

"Don't worry, It's okay." He smiled to his sister, keep saying he's waiting for someone who would definitely come.

"But it almost dinner time!" Yuzu hesitated his brother. She was worried for him being unusually melancholic, and definitely it doesn't sound an Ichigo at all when he's being quiet.

_...Don't worry. She will come. I'm sure.

* * *

_

It took hours for Ichigo before he returned to his home for nothing He almost turned into a real Jack Frost in thatChristmas Eve. Ichigo looked at his watch with disappointment. Maybe Rukia forget the promise, he thought bitterly. He wondered why he agreed to make one.

Ichigo entered his house. Yuzu welcomed Ichigo who seems in blue mood.

"O-oni chan! We were waiting for you! Is the person coming? We still left some pieced of christmas cakes for you!" said Yuzu, worried about his brother who looked so gloomy even in Christmas eve, where people should be happy and celebrating it by gathering with family and eating christmas cakes together.

Ichigo shaked his head, "no." he answered shortly. Yuzu could see a face of disappointment in his brother's face.

"Leave him alone Yuzu. I suppose Ichi-nii-san just just have been dumped by his girlfriend." said Karin sharply who sitting cooly in the dining room. Ichigo could feel razor sharp rip his lounge by that sarcastic words.

_Rejection... not a bad word._

"I want to go to sleep earlier. You could eat the rest Yuzu." Ichigo excused himself from his family and he went to his room.

"Ichi ni" Yuzu worried voice were cut when Ichigo closed the door behind.

He rested his bed. He wondered where Rukia would be by now. She might be angry that he didn't come to the place they meet for the first time. He felt retarded.

_Ore wa aitsu ni aitai... (I want to meet her...)_

"What took you so long?" a familiar voice cut his reverie. He knew that voice, it can't be...

"Rukia?" Ichigo frozen with Rukia's appearance. She's wearing an elegant white dress which made her looked like some kind of nobles. _Wait, she is a noble_, words slipped in his mind.

"Rukia, why you are here? I thought..." Ichigo hardly could speak before her when she slowly stepped forward to him who still rested in his bed.

SMACK!

A fist just had punched his cheek.

"I nearly waiting you here for five hours! Where did you go anyway? I thought I said to you to meet me at the first time we met!" said Rukia angrily, her angry face is contradicting her elegant looks.

"And I thought we were met on..." Ichigo cut Rukia's angry words abruptly.

"...**that Road"** Ichigo pointed the road where his family was attacked by Hollow.

"**...this Room"** said Rukia, pointing at Ichigo's room.

... both fell silent.

"And how come do you think we met in that road? You KICKED me here when I was in duty!" said Rukia angrily. She felt pissed off of waiting him for five hours in his room.

"I knew your name after you had stabbed me with your blade! That's the first time I met _Kuchiki Rukia_ , not a _shinigami_!" Ichigo tried to defend himself from one-side Rukia's wrath.

Rukia astonished for a moment, hearing his reason.

"Well... that was reasonable... but..." Rukia felt sorry after hearing his excuse. Ichigo keep oberseving the lady in front of him. He couldn't keep his eyes off. Rukia just seems so... graceful.

"It's not really a problem, bu" to Rukia's surprise, suddenly Ichigo pulled her arm to him, Ichigo embraced her afterward. Rukia felt her anger was gone. Changed by something that felt so warm.

"I... chi...go...?" Rukia sensed her heart almost jumped out from their place. She could feel their heart were racing each other. She didn't expect Ichigo to give her... an embrace.

"Thank you." he whispered to her ear. A smile curled from his lip.

"Why did you thank me?" Rukia asked, feeling her cheek was burning red.

"For being here with me now and telling me that wasn't a goodbye." Ichigo continued, still hugging her. He didn't want this moment to pass. How he wished time would stop tickling in this world, and gave him an eternity to this person he's longing for. Ichigo caressed her hair softly. Breathed deeply, tasting the fragrant that came from her.

Rukia didn't answer. Ichigo loosed up his embrace. He gazed at Rukia's eyes.

"And I thought I promise you something..." Ichigo said, his fingers softly touched Rukia's chin.

_Close your eyes..._

Rukia closed her eyes. She could feel the Ichigo's lip covering hers. Tasted her tenderly. Slowly eating themselves. They could feel the moment like an eternity. Rukia's hands reaching his chest, gently she pushed him back to the bed, while their lips still clinging.

Snowflakes still fell outside.

They paused for a moment, looking at each other's eyes.

And they were eyes that burnt with passion and tenderness.

* * *

It was the most beautiful morning for Ichigo.He could see droplet of snowflakes fell outside the window. And he couldn't tell which one is more beautiful, the snowflakes or the girl who still sleeping beside him. 

He looked at Rukia who still closing her eyes, a Goddess, he thought, looking at her slender body. The one that she gave only to him, the one that becomed one with his last night. He brushed her cheek and her hair gently and he could hear that Rukia whispered his name.

Rukia slowly opened her eyes. Ichigo smiled at her half naked body which covered by the blanket. Their eyes met.

"Good morning."She greeted the shirtless Ichigo whose eyes keep observing her. Ichigo saw that beautiful smile again.

The smile that brought his sunshine and melted over coldness in his heart.

A smile of Kuchiki Rukia.

He smiled and his lip slowly moved to her's. They kissed for a moment.

...and he finally said that word.

_Teme ga suki da. (I love you)_

* * *

_May 29, 2006._


End file.
